The 38-year-old faces criminal charges allegedly broke into the Pennsylvania governor’s mansion in the middle of the night Sunday, causing serious damage and sparking a fire that forced Josh Shapiro and his family to evacuate.
Firefighters from Pennsylvania’s capital Harrisburg had put out the flames by early morning, and no injuries were reported.
This is what we know about the attacks and suspects.
what happened?
Shapiro said early on Sunday at 2am (06:00 GMT) that state police officers woke him and his family out of their security details, knocked them on their door and woke up his family saying they needed to be evacuated immediately.
Police were warned that someone had expanded the fence and began searching the property, but initially no one could find it.
Police say a man broke into the south wing of the residence, hosting guests and entering a commonly used room to display artwork. He reportedly started a fire using a homemade baked CEN device.
Reports say the fire caused major damage – a buffet offering walls, tables, dishes, dishes and pianos, buffets. The window panes and the brickwork surrounding the doors and windows were also black.
Police have identified the suspect as Cody Ballmer, a Harrisburg resident.
At about 2am last night, my family and I woke up to the door from Pennsylvania State Police after an arsonist fired a shot at the governor’s residence in Harrisburg.
The Harrisburg Fire Department was on the scene and when they were working to put out the fire, we…
– Governor Josh Shapiro (@governorshapiro) April 13, 2025
Who is Cody Ballmer?
The suspect, 38-year-old Ballmer, has faced a variety of criminal charges over the past decade, including simple assault, theft and forgery, according to online court records. In 2016, he was sentenced to probation after pleading guilty to theft and forgery.
Authorities said he was taken into custody in Harrisburg on Sunday afternoon.
After Ballmer escaped, the woman claiming to be his former partner contacted police and said he confessed that he was causing a fire.
Following this, Ballmer surrendered himself to the police headquarters.
He admitted to state troopers that he was charged with fire and attempted murder, terrorism, arson and aggravated assault, authorities said. He is currently not in custody at the Dauphin County Jail in Harrisburg.
Photos from the Pennsylvania governor’s mansion after police show Governor Shapiro and his family slept around 2am while the arsonists said they had set the house on fire.
Cody Barmer of Harrisburg has been arrested. Planned accusations include attempted murder and terrorism. pic.twitter.com/gwefc3b8qh– Brian Entin (@brianentin) April 13, 2025
How did Ballmer get on the property?
Officials say he expanded the 7-foot (2.1-meter) fence surrounding the governor’s residence and broke into the home before setting the fire on fire.
Newsweek reported that Dauphin County District Attorney Fran Chard said Ballmer had illegally entered the facility and used a hammer to crush the windows. He is said to have threw a Molotov cocktail inside “which has caused quite a fire inside.”
Authorities said Ballmer was in the residence that took less than a minute before he could escape. He managed to “actively evade” the troopers, but he was searching for the facility at the same time, officials said.
During the press conference, Shapiro described the attack as “targeted,” but his motives remain unknown.
Shapiro said the fire was set in the very room he and his family joined members of the Harrisburg Jewish community for the Passover Cedar on Saturday night.
“We don’t know the exact motives of individuals yet,” Jewish Shapiro said at a press conference.
“But there are a few things we know. First: this kind of violence is unacceptable. It happens too often in our society, and frankly, we don’t care which one it comes from, who is targeting it, or what the reason is.
Last night, at the governor’s residence, we experienced attacks not only in our family but throughout Pennsylvania.
This type of violence has become too common in our society and must stop. pic.twitter.com/5hp5jsvgfc
– Governor Josh Shapiro (@governorshapiro) April 13, 2025
Who is Josh Shapiro?
At age 51, Shapiro is serving his first term as governor of Pennsylvania. These factors raised his profile within the Democrats, positioning him as a potential White House candidate in 2028.
Shapiro, the Jew, often speaks publicly of his faith.
Since taking office as governor, he has raised an eyebrow, particularly among progressive Democrats, to condemn pro-Palestinian student protesters on university campuses.
Shapiro told us last year the publication Politico:
Shapiro and his wife, Lori, have four children together: Sofia, Jonah, Max and Reuben.
The Pennsylvania governor’s residence in Harrisburg is a 29,000-square-foot (2,694-square-meter) Georgian-style residence built in 1968, and works as the home of eight governors.